French Laundry's $295 Dinners Dished Up in Shipping Container Kitchens, For Now

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A restaurant that has twice been named the best in the world is now using shipping containers as a kitchen.

The Los Angeles Times reports Friday that the French Laundry's chef and owner Thomas Keller ran up against a time crunch after designing a new, futuristic kitchen to mark the restaurant's 20th anniversary.

His architectural team suggested the shipping containers. The temporary kitchen with a window to watch chefs at work opened last week.

Using shipping containers for shops and eateries isn't entirely new. Last month, the Yard at Mission Rock near the San Francisco Giants ballpark opened with more than a dozen containers, where beer and goods are sold.

The French Laundry was in 2003 and 2004 named the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine.